Zambia: Teachers

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the government of Zambia on how to make good the fall in the number of teachers in Zambia following the recent evidence that more teachers there are dying of AIDS than there are students completing teacher training.

Baroness Amos: If the 1998 reporting (1,331 teacher deaths) is fairly accurate, and given the overall HIV infection trends in the adult population, Zambia will lose to AIDS annually about 2.8 per cent of its teaching force between 2000 and 2010.
	To this should be added morbidity, based on approximate loss of 6 months of labour prior to full-blown AIDS, and 12 months' loss prior to death, giving a figure of 4.2 per cent loss of available teacher labour to 2010--i.e. 1,996 teacher equivalents per annum.
	This has to be compared to national output of trained primary teachers of 2,226 per annum at present. The estimates in 1 and 2 are likely to be under-estimates, therefore the supply-demand is almost balanced at present.

Armenia: Demining Equipment

Lord Morris of Castle Morris: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have approved the export of demining equipment to Armenia.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Her Majesty's Government has recently approved the export of demining equipment for operations in Armenia. These will be used by the HALO Trust during humanitarian landmine clearance operations. This licence was granted for humanitarian purposes. It also reflects the determination of the Government to eliminate the scourge of landmines.
	The UK remains committed to the OSCE arms embargo against both Azerbaijan and Armenia, which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 (commonly known as the military list).

EU Enlargement

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the their statement on page 13 of the Command Paper Developments in the EU, July-December 1999 (Cm 4762) that "enlargement ... will reunite the European Continent", what is their definition of "the European Continent"; and in which period of European history it was united.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Enlargement will finally end the Cold War division of Europe. Countries which were divided for decades by political and economic barriers will participate once again as full and independent members of the European family of states. There are already 13 candidates for membership of the EU. The Amsterdam Treaty makes clear that any European state which conforms to the EU's political, economic and administrative criteria can join the Union. But no formal definition of a European state has been discussed with EU partners.

US National Missile Defence System

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their latest evaluation of the technical feasibility and expense of a United States National Missile Defence System.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We continue to discuss with the US many aspects of their possible National Missile Defence system. But we have made no formal assessment of the technical feasibility or cost to the United States of such a system. The US has made clear that these are two of the factors that the President will consider in deciding whether to proceed with the deployment of any such system.

Missile and Terrorist Attack: Threat Reduction

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What studies they are making of the relative future likelihood of missile attack or terrorist attack on the United Kindom and its major allies; and what global policies they believe are necessary to reduce the prospect of either.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: These potential threats to the United Kingdom are kept under constant review. The UK is an active participant in the international discussions on reducing the threats posed by both of these issues.

Arms Control: NATO Policy

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What deliberations are taking place within the NATO Alliance on the place of arms control measures in defence and security policy.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: NATO defence and security policies take full account of the importance of arms control and disarmament. Arms control issues are currently being considered as part of the process initiated at the 1999 Washington Summit. A report on this work is due to be presented to NATO Ministers at their meetings in December.

River Danube: Clearance

Baroness Williams of Crosby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the work of clearing bridge debris blocking the Danube at Novi Sad is expected to begin; and when navigation is expected to resume.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The European Commission have requested that urgency procedures be used throughout the EU legislative process in order to allow clearance work to begin before the end of summer 2000. The target date for the opening of a fully navigable channel at Novi Sad is spring 2001.

Theatres: Further Arts Council Review

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to review the roles and functions of theatres whose work falls outside the remit of the Boyden Report and the Arts Council of England report The Next Stage (which covers the 50 English Regional Producing Theatres).

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Arts Council of England's paper The Next Stage, published on 18 May with the Boyden Report, specifically addresses the wider theatre ecology beyond the English regional producing theatres, to include receiving houses, medium and small touring companies as well as the national companies. ACE will now build on this in the next phase of its review, currently under way.

Theatre: National Policy

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans to launch a national policy on theatre in England.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Arts Council of England, as the national funding body for the arts in England, in consultation with the regional arts boards and the wider theatre community, is developing its national policy on theatre in England.

Theatres: Funding by Local Authorities

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to make it a requirement that the cultural plans submitted by local authorities should make funding of theatres within their area a mandatory element of their budget provision.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have no such plans. Local authorities are being strongly encouraged to develop local cultural strategies but we do not anticipate that there will be mandatory elements in relation to theatres.

Below Average Income Statistics

Earl Russell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people have incomes below (a) 20 per cent of average income; (b) 10 per cent of average income; and (c) 5 per cent of average income.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) provides estimates of the number of individuals with household income below fractions of the Great Britain average. The fractions range from 40 to 100 per cent. Estimates are drawn from the Family Resources Survey. Income data at the very bottom of the income distribution are not regarded as sufficiently reliable to support estimates of the numbers below 5, 10 and 20 per cent of average income.
	The number of individuals who lived in households with income below 40 per cent of the Great Britain average stood at 5 million in 1997-98, before the deduction of housing costs. The new edition of HBAI will be published on 13 July 2000 and will contain figures covering 1998-99.

Community Sentence Breach: Loss of State Benefits, Scotland

Lord Windlesham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What will be the function of the (a) Procurator Fiscal in Scotland in referring to the court offenders reported to be in breach of a community order under the procedure contained in Part III of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill; (b) local authority social services department in Scotland; and (c) justice of the peace in Scotland

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: As introduced into the House of Lords on 5 April 2000, Part III of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Bill provided, in Scotland, for the court to notify the Secretary of State (in practice the Benefits Agency) of the commencement of breach proceedings. Proceedings are commenced when the court issues a warrant to arrest the offender or requires him to appear before it.
	The ultimate decision to return an offender to court for breach proceedings in Scotland is taken by the Sheriff or District Court (on which JPs sit). The court makes its decision on the basis of information about that breach, which is brought to the court's attention by a social worker or probation officer in whose area the offender resides.
	The court concerned may be either the Sheriff or a District Court. However in practice the majority of community disposals made and any subsequent breach proceedings conducted occur in the Sheriff Courts.
	In detail, the respective roles are as follows:
	(a) The Procurator Fiscal. When an offender appears before the court for breach proceedings, it is customary for the Procurator Fiscal to be present also. This is because of his involvement in the original criminal proceedings which led to the imposition of the community order, and because, if the offender disputes that he has breached the order, it will be the Procurator Fiscal (and not the social worker or probation officer) who will have to lead evidence to satisfy the court that there has been a breach. Because of this, it may happen that a local authority social work department asks the Procurator Fiscal to review the evidence before the matter is passed to the court for its decision as to whether to institute breach proceedings.
	(b) Local authority social work departments appoint a supervising officer, who is responsible for ensuring the offender's compliance with the terms of the community order in accordance with national standards and objectives. Where he considers that the offender has breached the order, the supervising officer submits a report to the court.
	(c) Justices of the peace sit in the District Courts in Scotland. They carry out functions in these courts in respect of breaches of community disposals similar to sheriffs in the Sheriff Courts. The District Courts are involved in the decision to commence breach proceedings, and in hearing breach proceedings, only where the original order was made in a District Court in the first instance.
	Part III of the Bill, as amended at Report stage in the Lords on 27 June 2000, provides for the loss of benefit to occur only after the Sheriff or District Court has determined that an offender has breached his community order. The roles of the various parties in taking breach action are the same.

Means Testing

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their use of means testing to solve the problem of poverty will in the long run increase barriers between those subject to means testing and those not so subject.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: No. Income-related benefits and tax credits are an efficient way of getting help to those people who need it most.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 20 June (WA 20) on the type and make of cars used by the Department of Social Security, whether the list includes cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for the use of Ministers and senior officials.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Answer to the previous question (WA 20) related solely to cars purchased and owned by the Department of Social Security. It did not include cars supplied on a hire or lease basis from any third party, including the Government Car and Despatch Agency or commercial car hire company.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackstone on 21 June (WA 32-33) on the type and make of cars used by the Department for Education and Employment, what types, makes and number of cars are supplied to the Department for Education and Employment by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for the use of Ministers and senior officials.

Baroness Blackstone: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my right honourable and learned friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 July, Official Report, WA 148.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 19 June (WA 11) on the type and make of cars used by the Department of Health, whether the list includes cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for the use of Ministers and senior officials.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The list did not include cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, which is operated by the Cabinet Office on behalf of all government departments.

NHS Boards: Appointments

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What response they propose to make to the report by the Commissioner for Public Appointments on Public Appointments to National Health Service Trusts and Health Authorities, published in March this year.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health set out the department's response to the recommendations made by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Dame Rennie Fritchie, in a letter to her dated 7 July 2000. It confirms our concern to ensure that appointments to National Health Service boards are made in a way which is seen to be both open and fair. A copy of the letter is available in the Library.

Kent and Canterbury Hospital

Lord McColl of Dulwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they are proposing to downgrade Kent and Canterbury Hospital, which has a bed occupancy of 98 per cent. with the loss of 250 acute beds, resulting in cancellation of surgical cases every week.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The decision on the reconfiguration of acute services in East Kent was made to ensure that all residents of East Kent have access to high quality, safe and effective healthcare services fit for the 21st century.
	There will be an overall reduction of 148 acute beds in East Kent as a whole, with a reduction of 138 acute hospital beds at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Eighty-five per cent of patients who would currently expect to be treated at Kent and Canterbury Hospital will continue to receive treatment there after the reconfiguration. This approach has been independently assessed and agreed with by the York Health Economics Consortium.
	East Kent Health Authority will continue to monitor and review bed numbers closely.
	The average weekly number of cancelled electives in East Kent has reduced from 139 between January and March 2000 to 54 between May and June.

HIV/AIDS Treatment

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the recent trial published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine (78:55-62) showing benefit to immunological functions in HIV+ patients from supplementation with amino acid n-acetyl-cysteine; and whether they will review their advice on the treatment of HIV/AIDS in the light of it.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government do not assess individual trial results neither do they issue clinical guidelines for treatment of HIV/AIDS. The choice of treatment is a matter for discussion and agreement between an individual patient and his or her doctor.
	Comprehensive clinical guidelines for antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infected adults, which carry a wide consensus, were issued by the British HIV Association in March 2000. These guidelines are being considered by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Medical Student Places

Lord Shore of Stepney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 21 June (H.L. Deb., col. 252) about the number of additional places for medical students in the United Kingdom, how many of the figure of 1,126 students announced in June 1998 are now in medical schools; and when the programme for additional students will be fully implemented.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The announcement of July 1998 indicated that the increase in medical student places in the United Kingdom would be phased up to 2005 to allow the expansion of facilities dedicated to medical education to take place in a planned and orderly manner and to allow the increase to be reviewed over time.
	Of the 1,126 places that have been announced in England, 155 became available in autumn 1999, universities plan to make 917 available by autumn 2002 and the rest by autumn 2005.
	The information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

House of Lords: New Office Accommodation

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What are the conditions and the cost of the lease for the 80 new desks in Little College Street and the 100 new desks in Millbank House.

Lord Boston of Faversham: The lease for 7 Little College Street and Millbank House will run until 2015. The annual rent is £33.50 per square foot and there will be a 12-month rent free period from the date of occupation. In addition to the new accommodation for Members, staff of the House will also move into Millbank House, making further office space available for Members in the Palace and 1 The Abbey Garden.

House of Lords: New Office Accommodation

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	How it is intended to allocate the new desks in Little College Street and Millbank House; and what criteria will be applied.

Lord Boston of Faversham: The new office accommodation will be distributed between the parties and the Cross Benches by the Administration and Works Sub-Committee, following a recommendation by the Accommodation Steering Group. Desks will be allocated to Members by the relevant party or the Convenor of the Cross-Bench Peers. The criteria are a matter for the party or the Convenor of the Cross-Bench Peers.

House of Lords: New Office Accommodation

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether those Peers who move to the new desks in Little College Street and Millbank House will receive the same level of service from attendants and other staff as is enjoyed by Peers in the main building.

Lord Boston of Faversham: The need to provide appropriate services for Members in 7 Little College Street and Millbank House has been a key factor in the planning for the moves which will take place between December 2000 and August 2001. This planning has been complemented by a recent review of the role of the Attendants, which took account of the introduction of the revised postal system. From December 2000, when the first tranche of offices will be occupied, a comprehensive Attendant service will be provided from 8.00am until 6.00pm. As in the main building, Members will be able to have their mail delivered to their own desks held in the Mail Room off Peers' Lobby or forwarded. Security staff will be on duty in Millbank House until an hour after the rising of the House. These arrangements were agreed by the Administration and Works Sub-Committee on 4 July and can, of course, be reviewed in the light of experience. In addition, there will be a library and (from August 2001) a conference room and a refreshment facility.

Corporal Punishment of Children

Baroness David: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness David on 14 December 1998 (WA 135), whether corporal punishment of children:
	(a) by parents;
	(b) in schools;
	(c) in residential institutions for children; and
	(d) in the penal system (either as a sentence of the courts or as a punishment in penal institutions); is still permitted under existing legislation in the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey; Jersey; and the Isle of Man.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The position in relation to corporal punishment of children in schools, in residential institutions and in the penal system remains as given in the answer by my right honourable friend the Attorney General and then Minister of State for the Home Department, Lord Williams of Mostyn, on 14 December 1998, (Official Report, WA 123). Corporal punishment of children by parents is still permitted in the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The common law of Guernsey permits parents to use reasonable corporal punishment in the chastisement of their children. In Jersey, there is no legislation currently prohibiting corporal punishment of children by parents. Article 9(5) of the Children (Jersey) Law 1969 provides that: "nothing in this Article shall be construed as affecting the right of any parent, teacher or other person having the lawful control or charge of a child to administer punishment to him". The law in the Isle of Man is that parents may administer "reasonable chastisement" to their children.

Children and Young Persons Act 1993, s. 53(2)

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons were sentenced under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 in each year since 1997; and what were their age and gender.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information is given in the table.
	
		Number of persons sentenced, at the Crown Court, under -- Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933by sex and age, England and Wales, 1997-1999(1)
		
			  1997   1998   1999(1) 
			 Age Males Females Males Females Males Females 
			 10 1 -- -- -- -- -- 
			 11 1 -- 1 -- 3 -- 
			 12 10 -- 6 -- 3 3 
			 13 21 3 19 -- 27 1 
			 14 89 3 61 2 77 5 
			 15 121 6 84 6 70 7 
			 16 166 7 157 8 133 5 
			 17 283 11 245 4 262 5 
			  
			 Total 692 30 573 20 575 26 
		
	
	(1) Provisional.

Children and Young Persons Act 1993, s. 53(2)

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What have been the numbers of offenders serving sentences under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 on 1 May for each year since 1997; and, in each year, what were the numbers serving their sentences in (a) local authority secure accommodation; and (b) Young Offenders Institutions.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The available information for offenders serving sentences under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act in Prison Service accommodation is for the end of June each year. It is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number 
			 1997 759 
			 1998 856 
			 1999 862 
			 2000 (1)873 
		
	
	(1) end March--provisional
	The number of offenders serving sentences in local authority secure accommodation on 30 April each year was:
	
		
			 Year Number 
			 1997 177 
			 1998 180 
			 1999 132 
			 2000 118 
		
	
	These figures include the Department of Health-run Glenthorne Youth Treatment Centre.

Children and Young Persons Act 1993, s. 53(2)

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to reduce the number of offences which may carry a sentence under Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: It is essential the courts have the powers they need to deal with children and young persons convicted of serious offences. The Government have no current plans to reduce the number of offences contained in Section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Young Offenders Institutions: Sexual Assaults

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many cases of rape and assault within Young Offender institutions were reported to the authorities in each year since 1997.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The figures contained in the given table answer the Question as closely as the collated statistics allow. The information held by the Prison Service is not specific enough to identify how many of the reported sexual assaults are for rape.
	
		Young Offender Institutions 
		
			  Total Assaults Of which were sexual assaults 
			 1997 946 12 
			 1998 1,421 23 
			 1999 2,431 17 
			 2000 (to 03/07/00) 1,529 6 
			  
			 Totals 6,327 58